French 'Tabac' shops diversify, selling bitcoin for cash

PARIS, Jan 7 (Reuters) - As well as cigarettes, cigars, lottery tickets and the like, visitors to Paris Tabacs can now also buy bitcoins.

With the backing of French fintech group Keplerk, the crypto-currency has gone on sale in six tobacco shops in and around Paris.

Adil Zakhar, one of Keplerk's co-founders, hopes to enrol up to 6,500 Tabacs by February.

"Some people find it complicated to get bitcoins on-line," Zakhar said . "They trust their local tobacco shop owner more than they would trust some remote anonymous website."

Late last year, Keplerk secured a contract with a local cash-register software provider to include an option for Tabac owners to sell vouchers redeemable for bitcoins in an electronic wallet that is held on Keplerk's website.